Chapter 318: Hell Mode

"Usually the academy recruits teachers at the start of the semester. Hiring at this time—could it be deliberately done by the Master Teacher Hall?"

Walking into the campus, seeing countless students studying peacefully with dreams in their hearts, Zhang Xuan felt a sense of relief and couldn't help asking.

In a normal academy, teachers are recruited at the beginning or end of the semester, and students can choose their own classes after enrollment.

But now, two months into the semester, it's the middle of the term. If they recruit teachers out of the blue, what about the students? Would they have to make other teachers drop their courses?

That's obviously not realistic.

Probably only the Master Teacher Hall has such capability.

"No!"

Mo Hongyi shook his head: "It's because several teachers at the academy left for some unknown reason, leaving their classes vacant. New teachers are being recruited to manage these classes and ensure normal instruction isn't disrupted."

"Classes vacant? You mean... once hired, I'd directly take over a class? Not select students from the entire school?"

Zhang Xuan was startled.

Taking over a class directly is completely different from letting students choose freely.

Taking over a class means the students are already assigned, and there's no way to change them. The latter allows free choice, making it easier to attract students who like your teaching.

"Select students? How could it be that good? It's not the start of the semester—how could there be students for you to choose? Besides, with our current identities and no reputation, even if there were new students, they wouldn't choose us!"

Mo Hongyi rolled his eyes.

Knowing he couldn't surpass this freak before him, he was no longer as hostile as before, and his attitude had softened.

If a true genius couldn't even calm his mind, he would have died countless times by now.

"That's true..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

The person he was impersonating now, Liu Cheng, had no reputation or impressive credentials. Even at the start of the semester, probably no one would want to sign up for his class.

Of course, in terms of starting point, it was much higher than when he was at Hongtian Academy.

Back then, he still bore the reputation of the academy's worst teacher, yet he still took in a few extraordinary students.

"How are students at Tianwu Academy divided by grade?" After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked.

"You don't know?" Mo Hongyi looked at him as if he were a monster.

Sometimes he felt this guy was so freakishly talented it was despairing, and other times he seemed utterly clueless, as if he had just arrived in this world.

Tianwu Academy, as the kingdom's top institution, every teacher knows about it. You're already a master teacher—how could you not know?

"Tianwu Academy admits students who have reached the True Qi realm, the third level of martial artist. It has four grades, corresponding to the True Qi, Skin and Bone, Dingli, and Acupoint Breaking realms. Once you reach the Acupoint Breaking realm, you can apply for graduation."

After a pause, Mo Hongyi explained: "As a teacher, you can recruit students every year. So generally, a teacher's class includes students from all four grades, unevenly mixed."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Actually, these rules were similar to those at Hongtian Academy. Before his transmigration, his predecessor had also had senior students, if not for the incident where his teaching caused a student to go berserk.

"We're here!"

As he was pondering, he heard Mo Hongyi's voice. Looking up, he saw the Elders' Hall of Tianwu Academy.

Recruiting new teachers required the elders' approval.

In the middle of the courtyard sat a row of elders, more than a dozen in number. The weakest among them were at the Half-Step Grandmaster realm, and the strongest were at the Grandmaster realm peak.

"The one in the center is the dean, Xie Bi, a top-ten powerhouse in the Tianwu Kingdom, a one-star master teacher, and very famous in the kingdom. Even I don't have a sure chance of winning against him in a fight!"

Mo Hongyi pointed discreetly and transmitted his voice.

Following his finger, Zhang Xuan saw a white-bearded elder sitting in the center, his eyes wide like a lion's. Though advanced in age, he showed no signs of decline; instead, he was full of vitality and exuded a powerful aura.

A Grandmaster realm peak expert!

Yesterday at Princess Mo Yu's Q&A session, this person hadn't been seen, so he probably hadn't attended.

In front of the white-bearded elder was a line of people, neatly queued, over a hundred in number.

"If you two are also here for the teacher assessment, please fill in your information here, then go and join the queue!"

As soon as they entered, a student called out from the side.

The two walked over and picked up a form.

The content was simple: name, gender, cultivation level, and teaching experience.

Both of them had verifiable credentials for their disguised identities, so they quickly filled it out.

"May I ask, are all these people here to apply for teaching positions?"

Handing over the completed form, Zhang Xuan pointed at the queue of over a hundred people.

"Yes," the student nodded.

"So many?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking. "Then... how many teachers is the academy recruiting in total?"

With over a hundred applicants, if they were hiring many, it would be fine; if only a few, there would be competition.

"Oh, a total of five positions. Three have already passed the assessment, so these people are competing for the remaining two spots!" the student said.

"The remaining two?"

Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi exchanged a glance.

Hundreds of teachers competing for two spots...

Isn't the Master Teacher Academy supposed to have us take on students and assess trust? How come as soon as we arrive, it turns into applying for teaching positions?

If we fail to get hired, wouldn't that be an instant failure?

"Yes!" the student nodded.

"Aren't these teachers lining up? How come three have already passed the interview? Are there any requirements for hiring teachers?" Zhang Xuan continued asking.

With people still queuing, three had already succeeded?

Shouldn't they review everyone first, then carefully select?

"Oh, for the dean's hiring, first they look at the resume. If they find it suitable, they hire directly. The first three were all Half-Step Grandmaster experts, so being ordinary teachers is naturally a breeze!"

The student laughed.

"Half-Step Grandmaster?"

Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi smiled wryly.

With such strength, they could even be elders at Tianwu Academy; being a teacher was indeed simple.

But his disguised identity, Liu Cheng, was only at the initial stage of Tongxuan realm, much weaker.

When a Half-Step Grandmaster and an initial Tongxuan realm candidate apply together, even a fool would choose the former.

The person Mo Hongyi was disguised as was also only at initial Tongxuan realm; the two were about the same, six of one, half a dozen of the other.

They had thought they would come and become academy teachers, then teach students—simple enough—but instead they were thrown into an extreme mode; if they failed, they wouldn't even see the copy.

One was the renowned number one genius of the Tianwu Kingdom, the other a supernova who had repeatedly broken records at the Master Teacher Academy...

To complete the Two-Star Master Teacher assessment, they actually had to compete with a bunch of ordinary teachers... The thought was intoxicating.

"Alright, you two, please queue up. If you're suitable, you'll naturally be kept!" the student beckoned.

Zhang Xuan and the other responded and lined up behind the crowd.

"You're also here to apply? Initial Tongxuan realm? I think you'd better go back. The weakest here are at the intermediate or advanced stage!"

As they walked up, a young man in front looked over contemptuously, simultaneously revealing his cultivation: advanced Tongxuan realm!

For the sake of disguise, both had suppressed their cultivation to initial Tongxuan, making it obvious at a glance.

Otherwise, with Zhang Xuan's pure Heavenly Dao true energy, even Hall Master Jiang couldn't detect it; how could this guy possibly know?

"Teacher, the real skill is in teaching. Without teaching ability, no matter how high your cultivation, it's useless!"

Mo Hongyi snorted.

As a super genius, he had been admired since childhood. Apart from suffering a loss in front of this Zhang Xuan, when had he ever been looked down upon? This guy's opening words filled him with rage.

"Young, but quite hot-tempered!"

The young man snorted coldly: "I'm saying this for your own good, otherwise I'm afraid you'll wait all day and end up with nothing!"

With that, he turned his head and ignored them.

Seeing they were being dismissed, Mo Hongyi's face turned green. Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

To have angered the number one genius like this, this guy was something else.

Just as he was about to say something, an old man's voice sounded from the front.

"I am Xie Bi. Thank you all for coming to apply!"

Hearing the dean speak, everyone fell silent and looked forward.

"I'm sure you've all heard about the shortage of teachers at the academy. Since you're here to apply, you should also know about the class situation."

Dean Xie Bi looked around: "However, let me first mention these two classes. They were left by teachers Hu Yi and Bai Fang. Therefore, the students in these two classes are quite outstanding. I hope to recruit an even better teacher, so as not to waste their talent."

"Hu Yi? Bai Fang?"

Mo Hongyi frowned upon hearing the names.

"You know them?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"They are famous star teachers at Tianwu Academy, with excellent teaching quality. And... they are apprentices of Hall Master Jiang!" Mo Hongyi transmitted.

"Apprentices of Hall Master Jiang?"

To be apprentices of a Two-Star peak master teacher, these two teachers were indeed highly skilled.

"Yes, I heard their classes are among the best in the entire Tianwu Kingdom, and the students they recruit are top-notch. It seems our task won't be easy!"

Mo Hongyi rubbed his forehead.

Outstanding students are often arrogant, and their sense of belonging to a teacher is correspondingly weaker.

It's like teaching a genius versus a mediocrity; from the True Energy realm to the Dingli realm, the latter will be grateful, while the former may think you're a poor teacher holding them back.

Giving a thousand coins to a rich man versus a beggar are two completely different things.

Sending charcoal in snowy weather is a great favor, but sending a cotton coat in summer naturally earns no goodwill.

These two classes are among the academy's best, and the students are top-notch. If one were even more talented than them, they could be intimidated... but with this fake identity, wanting to intimidate them and gain trust is too difficult...

How could proud geniuses willingly acknowledge two mediocre people as teachers?

Damn it. I thought coming to recruit students would be easy and pleasant, with plenty of time in ten days. I didn't expect not only an extreme mode, but practically a hell mode.

Assessing for Two-Star Master Teacher... indeed, it's not as easy as imagined.